The North of France remained in the spotlight. The first torch lit up Arras and its Grand Place in the Pas-de-Calais, then Amiens, the administrative centre of the Somme, whose canals have earned it the nickname 'Little Venice of the North'. The stage ended in Chambly, in the Oise, which has been voted the most sporting town in Picardy. The centre of Laon, in the Aisne, was also illuminated by the torch as the locals gathered in Place Herriot. 

Further east, the Torch danced across the Marne, lighting up Châlons-en-Champagne and its Parc du Jard, before making its way to the Henri Terré sports complex in Troyes, Aube, before lighting up the Cours l'Abbé in Châtillon-sur-Seine, Côte-d'Or. Meanwhile, in the south-east, the torches came to life in Lyon's famous Place Bellecour. 

The heart of France pulsated with Paralympic spirit as the centre of Chartres lit up near its cathedral. In Vichy, locals enjoyed the festivities on the shores of Lac d'Allier, while the Royal Castle of Blois in Loir-et-Cher provided the backdrop for the next stage. 

Heading west, the Torch passed Saint-Michel des Lions church in Limoges, danced along the banks of the Eure in Louviers and lit up the Port de Plaisance promenade in Deauville, Calvados. A unique feature of the Paralympic Relay is that several team relays, organised in partnership with the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF), will punctuate the four-day relay. 

In Chambly, the first team relay paid tribute to the volunteers of the Paralympic Movement. Led by the mother-daughter duo Elisabeth and Melissa Genix Ollier, the group showcased the dedication of charismatic volunteers from Paralympic Federations.

Their story is one of triumph over adversity: together they cycled 300km on a tandem bike for the charity OVE to raise awareness of carers who support people with illness or reduced autonomy. Their journey mirrors Melissa's own battle with epilepsy and tuberous sclerosis. 

Vichy also played host to another team relay that shone a spotlight on the game changers and innovators in para-sport. Leading the charge was Pierre-Emmanuel Baruch, captain of this relay and director of DALHIR, a charity that works to improve the social integration of vulnerable children and adults. 

He was joined by Patrice Faucogney, the mastermind behind all-terrain wheelchairs that increase mobility and independence; Hicham Ousseni, the creator of an inclusive sports and nutrition app that tailors personalised programmes to specific conditions; and Laure Gabin, the designer of adaptive skis that open up the world of snow sports to people with reduced mobility. 

Olympic track cycling champion Philippe Ermenault (Atlanta 1996 gold medallist) carried the Torch in Amiens, while Tokyo 2020 judo silver medallist Madeleine Malonga did the same in Chambly. Lyon saw the participation of two Paralympic greats: the eight-time athletics champion Assia El Hannouni (100, 200, 400 and 800 metres between 2004 and 2012) Assia El Hannouni and the 24-time French para-archery champion Karl Vergnaud. 

Guy Tisserant, four-time Paralympic table tennis gold medallist and world number one from 1992 to 1998, carried it in Vichy. Limoges welcomed Gérard Masson, a former table tennis champion and president of the French Disabled Sports Federation (2007 to April 2017) and of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (2009 to 2013), as well as basketball legend Richard Dacoury, who won the Euroleague with Limoges in 1993.

The day ended in Troyes with Vincent Mignon, double Paralympic cycling medallist in Atlanta in 1996, while Charlène Sauval, heptathlon champion of Normandy in 2023, had the honour of lighting the cauldron in Louviers. 

At the end of the day, several of the 12 cauldrons were lit by committed people who have made helping others their main objective. In Chambly, the former primary school teacher Nicole Jesupret, a tireless advocate for local youth, did the honours, while Alexis Guinet, a professional firefighter who runs a charity that helps war wounded through sport, lit the one in Laon. 

Michel Sorine, the pioneer of France's first gym for people with motor disabilities, ignited the cauldron in Lyon. Vichy's moment was lit by Nadège Debka, disabled liaison officer at the Club Nautique de Vichy and member of Handisport Vichy Ville Agglomération. Finally, Marilyn Ferrier, a sports educator specialising in para-sport and adaptive sports training, brought the day to a rousing close. 

The cauldron-lighting ceremonies provided a platform for Para sports athletes, including Para archer Jean-Jacques Jaugin in Chartres, Edmige Guegon, a sportswoman and president of the Châtillon-sur-Seine athletics club, in her home town, boccia player Lucie Marot in Châlons-en-Champagne, and up-and-coming judoka Romain Massinon, in Limoges. Pierre Santos, the "grandfather" of the Avant-Garde-Deauvillaise, lit the cauldron in Deauville.